Uranium-niobium-aluminum ternary alloy



United States Patent 3,183,079 URANIUM-NIOBIUM-ALUMINUM TERNARY ALLOY Gilbert S. Layne and James O. Huml, Midland, Mich., and Richard D. Smith, Cheshire, Conn., assignors to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed June 26, 1963, Ser. No. 290,645 2 Claims. (Cl. 75-1225) This invention relates to a novel uranium containing alloy and more particularly is concerned with a new and useful ternary intermetallic compound of uraniumniobium-aluminum. The alloy of the present invention is suitable for use as a nuclear reactor fuel element composition. Its high utility in this area is based on the facts that (l) the component elements have a low thermal neutron cross-section; (2) the alloy has a melting point of above 800 C.; and, (3) the alloy is chemically less reactive than is pure aluminum. This ternary alloy therefore, because of the hereinbefore listed characteristics, is particularly suitable for use in those reactor applications in which uranium-aluminum binary alloys presently are used.

The novel alloy composition of the present invention is a ternary intermetallic compond corresponding to the formula UNb Al and comprises on a weight basis about 24 percent uranium, about 18.8 percent niobium and about 57.2 percent aluminum.

The compound is prepared by employing alloying melting, casting and other foundry techniques as known to one skilled in the art. The following example will serve to illustrate a method which can be used to prepare the instant novel metallic composition but is not meant to be limiting.

3,183,079, Patented May 11, 1965 'ice Example An alloy of about 155.5 grams of aluminum and about 8.2 grams of uranium was prepared by melting the two components together at about 735 C. in a graphite cru- Clbie under an argon atmosphere. About 5.3 grams of niobium then were added to the melt with stirring and the resulting mixture stirred at about 750 C. for about 4 hours. A solid, crystalline product settled out during this period. Elemental analysis indicated this material to be the novel intermetallic compound corresponding to the empirical formula UNb Al X-ray diffraction analysis of this product showed the product had the following lattico constants: (1:10.354A, b=l0.354A, c=l4.643A. The cell volume was l569.80. The calculated density was 4.189 grams/ cc. There were four molecules per unit cell.

We claim:

1. A ternary metal alloy comprising on a weight basis about 24 weight percent uranium, about 18.8 weight percent niobium and about 57.2 weight percent aluminum.

2. A ternary intermetallic compound corresponding to the formula UNb Al References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,304,224 5/19 Vogt -1225 1,845,781 2/32 Bossert 75-1225 2,043,855 6/36 K0116! 75-1225 2,185,348 1/40 Monsfield 75-1225 2,188,203 1/40 Mansfield 75-1225 3,098,742 7/63 Layne et al. 75-1225 CARL D. QUARFORTH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TERNARY METAL ALLOY COMPRISING ON A WEIGHT BASIS ABOUT 24 WEIGHT PERCENT URANIUM, ABOUT 18.8 WEIGHT PERCENT NIOBIUM AND ABOUT 57.2 WEIGHT PERCENT ALUMINUM. 